Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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Sports talk radio and the electronic media of which I am a member thrives on histrionics and extreme, controversial opinions. Mondays after NFL games are always the most entertaining day to immerse yourself in this culture. It?s the most fun in cities and among fan bases where the team has failed to meet expectations, the more spectacular the failure the better.
So for those of you in markets of disappointment, I will attempt to provide a somewhat objective opinion on whether you should believe the fanatics who want everyone on the team burned by acid, or those who advocate staying the course and repeating the mantra ?It?s just 3 games out of 16, and we?re better than we?ve shown.?
Cleveland--Reach for the trigger! Put aside the lofty expectations you had in June (when I wrote my preview for the team) and deal with reality. This team is not good enough to hang with the second tier, let alone the big boys. It?s time for Brady Quinn to take over, and it?s time to tell Braylon Edwards to put up or ship out. Coach Crennel has not done a really good job conceiving opponent-specific gameplans, and it?s becoming more clear all the time he does not have the minds and ears of his players. I blame much of what ails them on playing three of the best defenses in the league and suffering through some costly injuries (Stallworth, Jurevicius).
Like the baseball team up E. 9th Street, a confluence of unrealistic expectations, injuries, and subpar performances from key cogs has scuttled the season real early.
If the Browns don?t regroup quickly just as the Indians did, it?s time for drastic changes. Note that it worked well for the Tribe, who dealt arguably the most dominant pitcher in the game (C.C. Sabathia) and their most clutch hitter (Casey Blake) and wound up quietly rallying to finish a surprising 3rd place and above .500.
Indianapolis--Stay the course. The youngsters on the OL are quickly getting up to speed and look like keepers. Marvin Harrison appears to be rounding back into form, and Peyton Manning has developed the mind-meld with Anthony Gonzalez. After the upcoming bye week, Indy draws two very winnable games against Houston and Baltimore. Not long after that, Bob Sanders returns and the run defense goes from putrid to stout, though Ed Johnson?s departure means it?s still vulnerable. This is not the same vintage as recent Colts teams, but with improved cohesion up front and some much-needed rest and rehab time, there is no reason this team can?t rally to 10 wins and make the playoffs. Sweep the Titans and you can still chalk up another AFC South title.
The state of Missouri--Focus on the draft! The Rams and Chiefs are pretty easily the two worst teams in the league, just as most folks suspected. This might be a real good year for y?all to follow college football more than the NFL, as Mizzou is a legit national title contender, Kansas is still strong, and Tigers' star Jeremy Maclin just might be part of the cure to what ails both teams.
Houston--Take the safety off, but keep it holstered. Or on the gun rack in the back of your Silverado, as I?m told is the custom in Texas. The Texans are not going to provide much relief from the anguish of Hurricane Ike, and you can throw out those playoff aspirations like so much soggy carpet. Matt Schaub is struggling behind a line that features perhaps the worst G-C-G package in the AFC. Andre Johnson, easily the most talented player on the offense and the one true weapon on the team, dropped 2 TD passes against the Titans and has caught just 3 of the last 20 balls thrown his way. The pass coverage is still a major liability, and Tennessee proved Mario Williams is somewhat human in that he cannot beat a double team followed by a FB chip. But these are extraordinary times for Houston, and once the team returns home and the schedule lightens (starting Week 6, they draw 5 winnable games in a row), this team just might catch fire. I would try to spark that fire by giving Sage Rosenfels a long look at QB and playing youngsters Xavier Adibi and Dominique Barber more on defense.
New England--Hide the arsenic, but grab a stiff drink. Matt Cassel is essentially a college sophomore in terms of on-field experience, and that is going to show at times. Not having the top two RBs on the depth chart at full speed really hurt, because Miami?s defense didn?t have to worry about the run. That will change as Maroney gets healthy. What would concern me more is the flat-out awful performance by the defensive back eight, particularly rookie LB Jerod Mayo and the safeties. This team is going to have to win with defense, and if the Dolphins game is any indication, this defense might not be able to carry the load. Gone are the days where the AFC East is a cakewalk, but it?s still winnable if the defense honors their gaps and gets off blocks and somebody informs Matt Cassel (or Kevin O?Connell if he wrests away the QB job) that there?s this guy named Randy Moss playing wide receiver...
Oakland--Raider fan doesn?t panic, he goes on a spree of violence and wanton destruction. It?s time for the Bay Area to go on lockdown, because the inmates have overthrown cell captain Lane Kiffin, and warden Al Davis prefers to let them fight it out rather than establish order. For you Raiders fans who don?t paint your faces or assault fans of other teams, keep some hope flickering quietly. After the debacle versus Denver, the team has played reasonably well and should be 2-1. JaMarcus Russell is learning on the fly, and the running game looks great. This is your building year; 2009 could be a playoff year.
New Orleans and Chicago--both teams are 1-2, both teams could easily be 3-0, and both teams can blame their defenses for the disappointment. That?s no surprise for the Saints but a huge shock to the Bears, and therein lies the difference in prognosis. The Saints should be fine--any team that can chalk up 27 first downs in a game has the ability to win any game.
On the other hand the Bears are built to win with dominant defense carrying the load, and two weeks in a row that defense has blown late-game double-digit leads and ruined a decent offensive performance. How any Bears fan can defend Coach Lovie Smith after mismanaging yet another game is beyond me, but the sycophants are out in full force. The lack of discipline and baffling play calls and clock management in Chicago are problems that aren?t going to go away, and having freakishly dominant special teams will only carry you so far. The Saints are going to be in a lot of 34-30 games, and with their offense in fine form they?re going to win more than they lose.
Cincinnati--keep the lighter next to the fuse. The Bengals showed a fighting spirit against the Giants that was glaringly MIA the first two weeks, led by a secondary that played very well most of the day. The running game checked in and Coach Lewis didn?t give up on it, both real good signs. But Carson Palmer is quickly becoming David Carr, an instant check down QB who is alarmingly easy to tackle; 6 sacks and not one attempt longer than 12 yards downfield before the TD toss to Houshmandzadeh late in the 3rd. The skill position players are designed for a vertical attack, but the shaky OL and conservative gameplan by Lewis takes that away. As well as the defense played, they still committed too many penalties and got bailed out by some drops and a flat performance by Eli Manning. Counting on the other team to play poorly is not a recipe for success. Enjoy the moral victory, because actual victories are still going to be real hard to come by.
Detroit--If you weren?t already jumping off this sinking ship, it?s time to leap. Understand that I have never been one of the ?Fire Millen? mouth-breathers, and that I genuinely like and respect Rod Marinelli. But not only is it not working, it?s not improving, and enough is enough. Marinelli preaches discipline, effort, and focus, but the Lions still exhibit none of those characteristics well into his 3rd season. The roster is stocked with the guys he wanted, yet the team hasn?t been competitive except for one brief flurry against the Packers. This bye week is a perfect time to pull the plug on both the head coach and GM and give the fans hope, something that is as long gone as the Edsel in Detroit.
